Mutambara files $1m defamation suit against TN

HARARE - Former Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara has filed a $1 million defamation lawsuit against furniture company TN Harlequin Limited which accused him of failing to pay $87 000 for furniture.

In papers filed in the High Court through his lawyers Matsikidze and Mucheche legal practitioners, Mutambara argues that the furniture company maliciously sought payment from him for furniture acquired for him by government.

He claims government did not fully pay for the furniture.

Mutambara alleges that TN demanded that he pays them $87 556,70 when it was supposed to be the State’s responsibility.

The former smaller MDC leader argued that in issuing summons against him, the company abused the court process and allegedly published defamatory falsehoods about him.

He argued that there was never a loan agreement or purchase arrangement between him and the furniture company.

The robotics professor accused TN of going on to hold meetings with government officials to secure payment at a time they were demanding the same from him.

He argued that the allegation that he failed to pay the debt was defamatory and harmed his reputation and good name.

“As a result of the cumulative effect of defendant’s conduct, the plaintiff also suffered an impairment of his dignity and suffered damages in the sum of

$100 000,” Mutambara’s lawyers said in the suit.

“Whereupon the plaintiff prays for a judgment to be entered as follows: an order for the defendant to pay him the sum of $1 000 000 as damages for defamation.

“An order for the defendant to pay him the sum of $100 000 as damages for impairment of his dignity,” read the papers.

Muatambara also wants TN to pay him costs of the suit on a legal practitioner-client scale.

TN is represented by Mtetwa and Nyambirai legal practitioners.

According to the court papers, the government of Zimbabwe officially bought for Mutambara furniture from TN as part of his conditions of service but failed to pay for it in full.

The same arrangement was also done for Mutambara’s co-deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe as well as the then Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

“Consequently, this furniture was not paid in full during the tenure of the inclusive government resulting in the plaintiff leaving government before the defendant’s furniture debt was fully amortized by the benefactor, the government of Zimbabwe,” Mutambara’s papers read.

Comments (3)

$87.5K on furniture for a week day boader? How much was spent on Khuphe and Tsvangirai? How much was spent on Bob's blue roof house? It didnt dawn on him like it did on Coltart for example that given the crisis in the country spending that sort of money on his house will not be appropriate? Transparency is the key...if people knew the waste and misallocation of resources by those they support i cant see how they will continue to support them.

Why is TN not going after Tsvangirai and Khupe as well? And I'm sure if you scratch a little deeper you won't find any govt's involvement except that the furniture occupied one of their offices.

Dr Know - 1 April 2014

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